A French administrative court upheld, Monday, the deportation of imam Hassan Iquioussen to Morocco, RFI reported. Iquioussen, a French-born man of Moroccan nationality, had previously challenged the deportation order issued by the French Ministry of the Interior in July 2022. Iquioussen was initially accused of hate speech, with French authorities alleging he made «repeated acts of explicit and deliberate provocation to discrimination, hatred or violence against Jews, women and non-Muslims». Iquioussen's lawyer, Lucie Simon, argued that the court relied on comments made «more than ten to twenty years old» and that her client's arguments were not given proper consideration. Prior to his deportation, French intelligence classified Iquioussen as a potential national security threat, labeling him «fiche S». Additionally, a European arrest warrant was issued for him. Facing potential arrest, Iquioussen fled to Belgium before ultimately being expelled to Morocco in January 2023. The deportation order itself cites concerns over Iquioussen's «proselytising speech interspersed with remarks inciting hatred and discrimination and carrying a vision of Islam contrary to the values of the republic». In February 2024, France's top administrative court examined an appeal from Iquioussen, who seeks a residence permit. This appeal argues that the original deportation order constituted an «excess of power». Despite being born French soil, he never formally applied for French citizenship.
